A woman has told of her shock after she watched a stranger open the passenger door of her car and snatch a Furla handbag off the seat as she waited at a set of traffic lights in Julian’s.

Gillian Grech, 36, said: “I expected to see someone I knew when I heard the door open but instead this man slammed the door and ran off.”

The theft was over in seconds, leaving Ms Grech without a description of him except he was wearing a baseball cap and “of small stature”.

He struck around 8 p.m. as Ms Grech, a fitness instructor, was stationary at the bottom of Birkirkara Road on her way to a friend’s house.

Mrs Grech said: “I drove around and asked people in the road whether they saw anyone but no one did – he disappeared.”

She now regrets not chasing the man: “I was in my trainers and could have tried catching him – I’m really frustrated that I didn’t try.”

Her bag contained DVDs she was going to watch with her friend, her mobile phone, Bulgari purse with credit cards, driver’s licence and ID card, cheque book and car licence disc.

After reaching her friend’s house, the pair drove back to the spot in case the thief dumped any of the items he could not use. When they did not find anything, they filed a police report.

“I asked the police whether they had any other cases similar to mine and they said no,” Mrs Grech said.

“I felt scared that night but now I’m OK. More than anything, I felt very violated that there was a stranger going through all the messages on my phone and with all my documents.”

However, she believes the theft on April 21 was not the first incident as a friend said her bag was also stolen at the same junction.

“She managed to stop him as he tried to put his hand through the window,” Mrs Grech said.

She urged everyone to lock their car doors while in traffic and leave their handbags or possessions out of sight under the seat.

“I still look when I pass the lights to see if I can spot anyone like him. Sometimes I think of leaving an empty bag on the seat in case he tries again,” she said.